The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1887-05-07
HOW IT WORKS.

an extract from the Springfield, Mass,
Republican, and comments thereon the
western railroads are endeavoring to
make the interstate commerce law
odious by raising rates on commerce
entirely within the states, to which the
law does not apply. For instance, we
have before us q freight bill, dated
April 81, OF the Missouri Pacific rail
road against Mr.. John Powell, on 10
boxes of tobacco, shipped from Hlgbee,
Mo-, to Lexington, No., $50 pounds,
at IS cents per hundred, or $3 II; and
another freight bill of the same COM
pany and to the same person, dated
only IL days earlier, on 10 butts Of to-
bacco, 400 pounds, at so cents per hun
dred, from Chicago to Lexington. AS
HiRbee is but the length of three coun-
ties away, and Chicago is across
two states, the difference of rates here
mentioned is immense.
1t naturally struck Mr.. Powell that
If the railroad company considered so
cents a hundred to be enough freight
from Chicago to Lexington, that 65
cents per hundred on the same kind o.
goods was too much from Higbee to
Lexington, and he made complaint TO
the local agent here. He received this
answer:-.'To be not otherwise speci-
fed in boxes first-class rate. Under
new classification slnce the interstate
law"
We do not blame the agent here for
this answer; he must obey orders; but
what will be thought of a great corpor-
alton such as the Missouri Pacific, try
ing to impose upon the credulity OF the
people the belief that the interstate
commerce law has any bearing what
ever on freights from Higbee 10 Lex
ington2
Either one Of two things Is true
this railway company must be endeav
oring by its advance in rates to make
the interstate commerce law odious; OF
it believes that it will fall to realize the
enormous profits of the past, if it can
no longer discriminate on interstate
hauls, and hence it desires to recoup by
advanced rates on local freights within
the states.
We candidly ask any nan who is not
under the influence Of railroads, if thu
latter proposition is true, if 1t does no
follow that state regulation of railroads
il doubly az important as it was before
the passage of the interstate commerce
act7
To show that the advance 10 not only
made by the company above indicated
we may add that Mr.. John P. Gordon
a merchant at Corder, told US, Thurs
day, that until recently his freight rat
from Kansas City, on drugs, was 8
j, cents per hundred pounds, and that i
has been advanced to Al or AZ cents
r also that his rates from St. Louis hav'
advanced B cents per hundred pounds
This is over the Chicago & Alton
, These advanced rates amount to mil
4 lions of dollars in taxes upon the PEG
pie, and. as it is now, they are made a
the dictation of a few railroad magnate
= who mark out the policy for all tn
u roads, whilst the people, in states lik
Missouri, where there are ineficien
. railroad laws, have no recourse.
D In Illinois there is no trouble OF thl
: kind. In that state each railroad ha
: its schedule Of reasonable maximum
. rates, made by the railroad commits
u sioners, which rates are held under th
. law in all courts to be pri,ma facis evi
+ dsnce Of .reasonableness. The road
o are by their Justice forced to adm.
:. this. The people know what their rate
are and think them fair, and 80 Their
u il no trouble or bad feeling, and til
railroad question, %so-called. is ne
10 heard Of in politics or in the legisls
ture.